Two Rules Pair 1991 1991

Curator: Grenville Davey, born in 1961, created these arresting forms. They're called Two Rules Pair, dating from 1991, and they currently reside here at the Tate. Editor: My first thought: monolithic! There's this beautiful tension. They feel weighty, almost industrial, yet possess a strangely serene quality. Curator: Davey's work often explores industrial materials and geometric forms. In the late 80s and early 90s, British art was grappling with the legacy of Thatcherism. Editor: So, these could be read as silent commentary on industrial decline, maybe? The muted color palette certainly adds to that feeling of something passing. Curator: Absolutely. The 'rules' in the title suggest a rigid system, perhaps the constraints imposed by industry or societal expectations. Editor: But the pairing offers some hope. Two separate entities, coexisting, perhaps challenging those very constraints? It's a conversation without words. Curator: That’s well put. It's a thought-provoking dialogue between form, material, and the socio-political landscape of its time. Editor: Indeed. They feel very present, both literally in their imposing scale, and conceptually, as reminders of our ongoing need to question the rules.